The band was originally formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990 by friends Merritt and (percussionist/pianist/vocalist) Claudia Gonson. While 1991's Distant Plastic Trees and 1992's The Wayward Bus (now most easily available together as a compilation, The Wayward Bus / Distant Plastic Trees) are sung by Susan Anway (b. 1951 - d. 2021), all subsequent albums are principally sung by Merritt himself.
Longtime members include: Gonson, (cellist) Sam Davol, and (banjo player/guitarist) John Woo. Contributors include (but are not limited to) the singers Susan Anway, Dudley Klute, Shirley Simms, and LD Beghtol, and the accordionist/writer Daniel Handler (famous for writing the childrens' books A Series of Unfortunate Events under the alias Lemony Snicket).
Their most popular and best-selling album to date is 69 Love Songs issued on Merge Records as a triple album filled with many fairly short songs that are reminiscent of early Beatles productions.
The album is notable for its employment of many unorthodox musical arrangements and downright impressive quantity of material presented. Instruments used on this album include the ukulele, banjo, accordion, cello, mandolin, piano, flute, xylophone guitars, various percussion instruments, and a standard setup of synths and effects. It features several guest vocalists on several different tracks. The album is a three CD set, released in the US as three separate albums (also available as a boxed set) and in the UK as a triple album.
The album i (2004, Nonesuch Records) continues Merritt's fixation on the concept album, with each of the 14 songs beginning with the letter (and often the pronoun) "I".
The album Distortion, was released through Nonesuch on the 15th January 2008 and introduced noise pop to the array of styles utilized in their music. The album's release was followed by a sold-out U.S. tour starting in February. Additional albums followed in 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2020.
Stephin Merritt is involved in several other musical projects: The 6ths (featuring different guest performers on every track), The Gothic Archies (songs dealing humorously with dark themes) and Future Bible Heroes (with music written by Chris Ewen)
http://www.houseoftomorrow.com/
If There
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So we might as well begin it,
As there's dancing to be done
And our time is not infinite.
If there's such a thing as love,
If there's such a thing as love,
I'm in it.
So you claim you love me too,
Lloyd's of London guarantee it.
Gaze into these eyes of blue,
You do love me I decree it.
If there's such a thing as love,
If there's such a thing as love,
Give me it.
When i was two and a half,
My momma said to me:
"Love is funny you will laugh
'Til the day you turn three."
Like a kitten up a tree
Needs a fireman to rescue it,
So your fireman i will be
And i'll really get into it.
If there's such a thing as love,
(such a thing as love)
If there's such a thing as love,
Let's do it.
I thought i'd known love before
That was not it but I thought it
So I thought i'd win the war
Or I never would have fought it
If there's such a thing as love,
(such a thing as love)
If there's such a thing as love,
I've caught it.
if there's such a thing as love,
(such a thing as love)
if there's such a thing as love,
I've caught it.
If there's such a thing as love,
(such a thing as love)
If there's such a thing as love,
Love caught it
The Magnetic Fields' song "If There's Such a Thing as Love" is a love song that speaks of a desire to dance and enjoy the moment. The song opens with the clock striking one, suggesting that the night is still young and there is much to be done. It talks about how wasteful it would be if they let their time go by without dancing and embracing the night. The song's central theme is "love," and it asks the question, "If there's such a thing as love, I'm in it." The singer is confident that they are in love and believes that their partner feels the same way.
The lyrics go on to say that the singer's partner loves them, and they were guaranteed by Lloyd's of London, which specializes in insuring valuable assets. The singer guarantees that their partner loves them because they have "eyes of blue." The singer wants to make sure that they are both on the same page concerning love. The bridge of the song talks about how love is something that makes you feel like a kitten that needs rescuing. The singer compares themselves to a fireman ready to rescue their partner from any troubles that come their way.
The last verse talks about how the singer thought they knew love before but was mistaken until this moment to realize what true love feels like. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus line "If there's such a thing as love, I've caught it."
Line by Line Meaning
Now the clock is striking one
It's getting late, so let's not waste any more time.
So we might as well begin it,
Let's start dancing and enjoying ourselves now that we're here.
As there's dancing to be done
Let's not miss out on the opportunity to have fun.
And our time is not infinite.
We need to make the most of the time we have together.
If there's such a thing as love,
Love exists and is not just a concept.
I'm in it.
I am in love.
So you claim you love me too,
You say you love me back.
Lloyd's of London guarantee it.
You are so sure of your love that you would bet on it.
Gaze into these eyes of blue,
Look into my eyes and see my love for you.
You do love me I decree it.
I declare that you love me too.
When i was two and a half,
When I was very young.
My momma said to me:
My mother told me.
"Love is funny you will laugh
Love can be humorous and make you laugh.
'Til the day you turn three.'"
Until you grow up a little bit.
Like a kitten up a tree
Like an animal in need of help.
Needs a fireman to rescue it,
Needs someone to come to its aid.
So your fireman i will be
I will be the one to rescue you.
And i'll really get into it.
And I will do it with enthusiasm.
I thought i'd known love before
I believed I had experienced love previously.
That was not it but I thought it
But I was mistaken about what I thought was love.
So I thought i'd win the war
But I was determined to find true love.
Or I never would have fought it
I wouldn't have put in the effort if I didn't believe it was worth it.
Love caught it
I have found true love.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kala Iriarte
I love this album! I just bought it, amazing tracks
craigomozfan
Such a great song, listen to it all the time. Thanks for posting.
Haoma Sapien
<3
ob2kanob
je vous aime mon ami
Agustin Asuero
pa pa pa pa pa papapaaa